Nosso Xote, Bicho de Pé, Forró style

[Tom]

Ive noticed a bit of interest in Brazilian accordion music here of late. Here, for your listening pleasure is Bicho de Pés Nosso Xote.

This is in the Forró Pé de Serra style, and features tasteful solo and accompaniment accordion (sanfona) with a cool, distinctive bass.

Nosso Xote means Our Xote, Xote being the Brazilian version of the term Schottische, although this danceable rythem and dance style has changed quite a bit from the original.

Basically, the singer has become quite smitten by her dance partner during the close dancing of an all night forró dance party.....

Enjoy!

 

[maugein96]

Ive noticed a bit of interest in Brazilian accordion music here of late. Here, for your listening pleasure is Bicho de Pés Nosso Xote.

Tom,

Dont get too excited, as the signs are that there are only a few of us on here who like Brazilian music. I sort of stumbled into it when I discovered Bossa music on guitar, way before I knew which way up an accordion should be played. The subtle chord changes always fascinated me, but Ive never really tried to play much of it on the accordion, as the basses usually prove too much for me. Sometimes Id be as well keeping my left hand in my pocket, as Im one of those people who has extreme difficulty doing more than one thing at a time.

Most of my accordion interest now just involves listening to people who can actually play any style of accordion, and I couldnt hope to play them all. What I love about Brazilian accordion is there are no obvious rules of engagement involved, and the players just seem to do their own thing. I know that isnt the whole picture, but if I tend to get too interested in any particular style it can become an obsession. I could probably tell you how many shirt buttons Andre Verchuren used to have, or what strength of black hair dye he used, but Id struggle to remember the names of most of the tunes he played, as I wasnt really interested. I am (was) able to play French musette to a half decent standard, but found that the notion wore off over the years, and I started wearing shirts without buttons. Luckily Ive never needed hair dye since I was about 35.

What I should have done was get interested in other styles, which I have done recently, but too late to get me really interested in playing again.

I know absolutely nothing about music theory, and the names of tunes seldom concern me, just so long as the music is good. A few times Ive posted stuff I thought was jazz on here but was told otherwise, or it was a particular type of jazz. Wish theyd just call it Jazz type 1, type 2, etc, as all the fancy terminology leaves me cold. I do like the music, but only tracks that are less than 27 minutes long! Id never even heard anybody playing classical music on an accordion until I joined the forum, and that aspect of the instrument has failed to capture my interest. Id rather have a holiday home in Spain than spend $40,000 on a musical instrument that Id probably need to push around on a trolley, and I dont know how to tie a bow tie.

Similarly, I have heard of a Forro, but wouldnt really know how to tell the difference between one Brazilian style and another. I just like it all.

Love that tune though, and thanks for sharing it!

 

[maugein96]

Check out this guy who is a repairer/restorer/used accordion dealer in Brazil.

He has literally hundreds of You Tube videos.

Dont know what his name is or the title and/or style of this tune, but thats one nice sounding Crucianelli, even if it looks weird. I had a stab at identifying his name in a previous post but apparently I got it wrong. Irati is a place in southern Brazil, but its a long walk from here!

 

[Tom]

Hi Johnnie,

Well, I dont know what other people here are interested in, I guess, but I seek out living traditions of accordion music. Where I live, the native accordion traditions have pretty much faded, and are very difficult to find. There are a few old timers around, but most of my friends are like me, we play because we get a kick out of it, and play tunes we like from a variety of traditions, including the native ones.

In Brazil the accordion traditions are still strong and not revivalist. Ive nothing against people playing for any reason, but I think there is something cool about living accordion traditions that go back 50 years or more and still draw a crowd, and continue to evolve with the input of the youth, rock, rap, electric guitars, etc. etc.

Yeah that guys name is Luiz Carlos Gomes do Vale and hes from the city of Irati, Paraná in the south of Brazil. I dont recognize the tune.

Heres a very traditional Forró band, Trio Virgulino, with horns and a modern rythem section. You see they have the traditional lineup of sanfona (accordion), zabumba (large drum), and triângulo. Ill never get to this level, but its fun to try the different traditions.

 

[xocd]

Dont know what his name is or the title and/or style of this tune, but thats one nice sounding Crucianelli, even if it looks weird. I had a stab at identifying his name in a previous post but apparently I got it wrong. Irati is a place in southern Brazil, but its a long walk from here!

The account seems to belong to Luiz Carlos Gomes do Vale, which is a perfectly good Brazilian name. Irati could be a nickname; probably meaning the hails from there. (This is a SWAG or obtained via the REM.)

 

[maugein96]

In Brazil the accordion traditions are still strong and not revivalist. Ive nothing against people playing for any reason, but I think there is something cool about living accordion traditions that go back 50 years or more and still draw a crowd, and continue to evolve with the input of the youth, rock, rap, electric guitars, etc. etc.

Yeah that guys name is Luiz Carlos Gomes do Vale and hes from the city of Irati, Paraná in the south of Brazil. I dont recognize the tune.

Heres a very traditional Forró band, Trio Virgulino, with horns and a modern rythem section. You see they have the traditional lineup of sanfona (accordion), zabumba (large drum), and triângulo. Ill never get to this level, but its fun to try the different traditions.

Tom,

I agree with you about the accordion music of Brazil. The listener is treated to the music as it is, instead of as it was, and it is one of those rare experiences with accordion music these days. The situation with modern day accordion music in Portugal is pretty much the same, although there is less variation in the styles concerned. Even in The Azores there is a thriving accordion culture.

Most people wouldnt immediately link the accordion with any of the Portuguese speaking countries, due to the fact that the accordion music concerned isnt promoted at all beyond their boundaries. However, it is continually evolving around present day players.

I know that is also the case with various other styles which many now consider to be old fashioned. Granted, tunes are still being composed and played by young players in various styles, but youngsters are often hamstrung by their peers about playing an old folks instrument.

The refreshing thing is Brazilian musicians dont need to worry about that and if somebody wants to play an electric guitar with distortion in a band, they just adapt to the new sound and get on with it.

The clip of the Forro band you posted adequately demonstrates that fact, although I would have to be honest and say in my head I wasnt really prepared for what I saw and heard. Most of us with little experience of listening to Brazilian accordion tend to associate it with the smoother bossa type numbers, and theres no doubt thats what got me into listening to it.

A few years ago I worked my way through a Brazilian guitar book by Nelson Faria, skipping through styles I wasnt sure about, and Forro was one of them. IMHO it is a style which would require more knowledge of the music to begin to appreciate it properly. The styles as posted by member Francisco SC on this board were more appealing (to me), as a Brazilian accordion newbie.

However, any type of Brazilian accordion music is of interest to me at least, so keep it coming.

A while I go I chanced my hand and put on a couple of clips of the Argentinian accordionist, Raoul Barboza, now probably more famous in France than Argentina. Suffice to say I dont think he was in the top three Accordionists Forum prizes for player of the year. A great player, but the Argentinian accordion style is lost on those who think it consists of wall to wall bandoneon.

Thanks for the clarification with Luizs name. I put Irati after it in the belief it was his surname rather than a nickname. I was corrected, of course. Problem with Portuguese is that even in Europe it is not widely understood. Spanish people travelling across the border just speak to Portuguese people in Spanish in the knowledge. that Spanish is compulsory in Portuguese schools.

Multo obrigado for the info and the clip.

 

[Geronimo]

I know that is also the case with various other styles which many now consider to be old fashioned. Granted, tunes are still being composed and played by young players in various styles, but youngsters are often hamstrung by their peers about playing an old folks instrument.

What a difference an s makes... Playing an old folks instrument is way uncooler than playing an old folk instrument.

 

[maugein96]

I know that is also the case with various other styles which many now consider to be old fashioned. Granted, tunes are still being composed and played by young players in various styles, but youngsters are often hamstrung by their peers about playing an old folks instrument.

What a difference an s makes... Playing an old folks instrument is way uncooler than playing an old folk instrument.

Very true, although another potential issue is both of them start with an f.

In the UK it is OK to say you play blues and folk, but if you say folk and blues, some people may well think you just mean blues, but were being rude about it.

 

[Tom]

Thankfully the accordion is still eminently cool in many areas of this wide and wonderful world. Imho here in the US the strongest thriving traditions are Cajun and Zydeco and I imagine there have been some discussions of such.

Returning to Brazil and Forró however, a couple other players that I enjoy watching, with a definitely contemporary spin on the older style are Bia Socek (who has posted lessons, incidentally) and Dorgival Dantas.

And Im sure Ive seen posts on the series of lessons in Forró / Baião groove creation by Rob Curto.

 

[maugein96]

Tom,

Used to listen to Cajun CDs a lot (Balfa Brothers et al) and my two daughters loved it when they were kids. Never bothered trying to work out the lyrics though. Still have a Troy Landry ball cap, and always fancied Louisiana, but my wife is not allowed to fly outside of Europe, so we won't be going.

Enjoyed the two clips, but the poor bellows technique, lax attitude to suitable attire, atrocious haircut, and a skateboard badly in need of a repaint, all spoiled it for me (only kidding!).

Thanks Tom

 

[Tom]

Kkkkkkk